Category Archives: Amazon Rainforest

VT Podcast Ep 3: Do We Value Our Taste Buds Over Our Own Species’ survival?

Welcome friends to my third podcast episode. I was going to focus on a number of issues in this episode, but essay by Chris Hedges (Pulitzer Prize recipient) came to my attention titled “Saving the Planet: One Meal at a Time” I thought I would discuss some of the aspects of this essay.  🙂

Here’s an excerpt:

“Animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all worldwide transportation combined—cars, trucks, trains, ships and planes.3 Livestock and their waste and flatulence account for at least 32,000 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, or 51 percent of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.4 Livestock causes 65 percent of all emissions of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 296 times more destructive than carbon dioxide.5 Crops grown for livestock feed consume 56 percent of the water used in the United States.6 Eighty percent of the world’s soy crop is fed to animals, and most of this soy is grown on cleared lands that were once rain forests. All this is taking place as an estimated 6 million children across the planet die each year from starvation and as hunger and malnutrition affect an additional 1 billion people.7 In the United States 70 percent of the grain we grow goes to feed livestock raised for consumption.8

The natural resources used to produce even minimal amounts of animal products are staggering—1,000 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of milk.9 Add to this the massive clear cutting and other destruction of forests, especially in the Amazon—where forest destruction has risen to 91 percent10—and we find ourselves lethally despoiling the lungs of the earth largely for the benefit of the animal agriculture industry. Our forests, especially our rain forests, absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and exchange it for oxygen: Killing the forests is a death sentence for the planet. Land devoted exclusively to raising livestock now represents 45 percent of the earth’s land mass.11

And this does not include the assault on the oceans, where three-quarters of the world’s primary fisheries have been overexploited and vast parts of the seas are in danger of becoming dead zones.”

said no abolitionist ever I speak about the so-called “Ag Gag” laws and the problem with focusing on animal agribusiness instead of addressing public demand for animal use. I speak also about the problems with promoting welfare reform and the problems associated with large animal organisations and their undercover investigations. I touch on a few other issues as well briefly.

Thanks for listening. I look forward to your company again. 🙂

Disclaimer: Although I mention various individuals or sites in my podcasts, please note I do not necessarily endorse these individuals, or opinions, links or ads.  Please view my disclaimer

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Vegan Trove Podcast Episode 1: Introduction

Welcome to  my first podcast. In episode 1. You can find my Vegan Trove Podcast on iTunes.

I meander through a number of topics related to abolitionist veganism.  I talk a little about my Facebook page stalling in relation to Facebook algorithms, and in response to that I started a Vegan Trove site to host my podcasts and my other vegan education resources.

cover VT9

I’m an abolitionist vegan. You may ask what is the difference between a vegan and an abolitionist vegan? I talk a little about that. Here’s a brief description: Abolitionist veganism is an ethical position that rejects the property status of animals. It rejects the notion that it is morally justifiable to use animals as long as they are used “humanely”.  Vegans reject using animals for food, clothing, entertainment or other reasons to the best of our ability.

I talk also briefly about why abolitionist veganism rejects single issue campaigns, and I touch on the problems of large animal charities promoting the misleading idea that being vegan is “extreme”, “purist” or “hard”.

I talk a little about the myth of the “ex-vegan”.  I argue that they were never vegan to begin with.

I speak briefly about the ecological disaster that is animal agriculture and according to a growing amount of evidence, it greatly contributes to climate change. I mention how our animal product consumption is greatly contributing to the sixth mass extinction which is taking place now and how animal agriculture is responsible for millions upon millions of deaths of “wildlife” each year.  And I touch on a few miscellaneous issues.

This first podcast is little rough and a tad long but I think you might find it interesting.  My next episode will be in the next 2 or 3 weeks if time permits (I’m very busy till the new year), and will probably be more structured.

If you’re wondering what the chiming is in the background, I live in Tasmania on a beautiful bay.  They are large wind chimes and it’s a windy day 🙂

As well as subscribing to this site for updates, please join “Vegan Trove” on Facebook for future podcast updates 🙂 I apologise for any inconvenience as this page is under construction.

Disclaimer: Although I mention various individuals or sites in my podcasts, please note I do not necessarily endorse these individuals, or opinions, links or ads.  Please view my disclaimer:  http://www.vegantrove.com/disclaimer/

Thanks for listening. I look forward to having the pleasure of your company next time.  🙂 Please note these podcasts will be available on iTunes shortly. I will post a link when they are ready.

 

For more info:

Facebook Is Throttling Nonprofits and Activists

Google is not what it seems | Julian Assange

Facebook Puts Everyone On Notice About The Death Of Organic Reach

Facebook Zero: Considering Life After the Demise of Organic Reach

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